Watching TV in Japan

先輩

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Hi. I bought my computer screen some time ago without checking if it had a TV input socket. Now I'd like to watch TV, but I don't really want to buy a TV screen, as my flat is not very big and I already have a pretty big computer screen. Does anybody know of a way to connect my computer screen to the antenna socket? Or any other ways of watching Japanese TV? A friend told me that Japanese phones have TV in them, but I'm currently using my Spanish phone with a Japanese sim card in it, so I'm not sure that's an option for me.

後輩

Hi. I bought my computer screen some time ago without checking if it had a TV input socket. Now I'd like to watch TV, but I don't really want to buy a TV screen, as my flat is not very big and I already have a pretty big computer screen. Does anybody know of a way to connect my computer screen to the antenna socket? Or any other ways of watching Japanese TV? A friend told me that Japanese phones have TV in them, but I'm currently using my Spanish phone with a Japanese sim card in it, so I'm not sure that's an option for me.

You might want to look into Hikari TV. It is an internet TV, so you only need an internet connection (ethernet port) and the Hikari TV Box and you can start watching TV. There are HD models so as long as your computer screen has an HDMI port you should be fine. If you don't have an HDMI port then look for a VGA to HDMI converter online (if it exists). I never bought Hikari TV and no one I know ever used it so I can only tell you watch I heard about it on Youtube sometime ago. Youtube link I watched:
Additionally, please be aware about NHK. If you do buy a TV set, they may come knocking on your door asking for a fee every month or every few months. This is because in Japan, NHK is available immediately from your room wall antenna outlet. It is not free even though it is available, so if they find out you have an TV set they may come knocking on your door about it. I am not sure this is the case, if you live in a dorm.

Maybe someone can vouch for this. But I guess if you use a computer screen with an HDMI port and use hikari TV, this can be a loophole for the NHK fees. But I really don't know since the fee is only for if you own a TV set. NHK might count TV service providers as TV set's as well. The only big issue I can think of is that your computer screen may not have audio so watch out for that and make sure it is "HDCP compliant". Read that last bit online.

禁漁期

Hi. I bought my computer screen some time ago without checking if it had a TV input socket. Now I'd like to watch TV, but I don't really want to buy a TV screen, as my flat is not very big and I already have a pretty big computer screen. Does anybody know of a way to connect my computer screen to the antenna socket? Or any other ways of watching Japanese TV? A friend told me that Japanese phones have TV in them, but I'm currently using my Spanish phone with a Japanese sim card in it, so I'm not sure that's an option for me.

先輩

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Thanks for all your replies. To answer toritoribe's question, my screen does indeed have an HDMI port, but it doesn't have a coaxial one, so I can't connect the TV cable. I think I'll probably go with Hikari TV

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